Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump proposed to debate Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Fox News on Sept. 4, and the Harris campaign responded saying Trump is trying to back out of a debate that had been set to run on ABC.
The rules will be similar to the first debate with President Joe Biden, who has since dropped his reelection bid, Trump said in a post on Truth Social late on Friday. But this time it would have a “full arena audience” and take place in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, Trump said.
Michael Tyler, the Harris campaign communications director, said “Donald Trump is running scared and trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to and running straight to Fox News to bail him out.”
Trump and Biden had agreed to a second debate on Sept. 10 on ABC news that the former president had suggested should be moved to Fox.
“The Vice President will be there one way or the other to take the opportunity to speak to a prime time national audience,” Tyler said, apparently suggesting she would show up if Trump does not. “We’re happy to discuss further debates after the one both campaigns have already agreed to.”
Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s proposal for the debate on Fox came right after the Democratic National Committee launched an advertising campaign on Friday taunting him by saying “the convicted felon is afraid to debate” and questioning whether that is due to his stance on abortion.
Recent polls show a tight contest between Harris and Trump, who had enjoyed a bigger lead over Biden after the first debate.
David Plouffe, an adviser to former President Barack Obama who recently joined the Harris campaign, said on X “Now, he seems only comfortable in a cocoon, asking his happy place Fox to host a Trump rally and call it a debate. Maybe he can only handle debating someone his own age.” Trump is 78 and Harris, 59.
After Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 and backed Harris, Trump said he would not debate her because she was not the official candidate.
On Friday, Harris secured the delegate votes needed to clinch the Democratic nomination.
Harris had responded last month that she was “ready” after Fox News proposed the presidential debate between the two candidates on Sept. 17.
